- Admin
- #76
But you are cool with them releasing the V8 and 4 cylinder to give you the choice though right?
Release Cycles, what's your take on them?
But you are cool with them releasing the V8 and 4 cylinder to give you the choice though right?
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
This is the boat I am in. I am always shocked by the amount of traction a thread like this gets. It is a great time to be a golf consumer. There are companies working hard everyday, pushing the envelope with technology and marketing. Tons of choices and top quality gear. Yes, those companies have shareholders and are in business to make cash. I just don't see any of this as being a bad thing.
StLCardsFan
Well-known member
I fall into the 'I really don't care' category. I pay attention to what is out there, and with some companies it is rather hard to keep up with it all. Doesn't really bother me though. I rarely buy any new equipment so it's not like I constantly see latest/greatest gear over what I just bought. When the time comes to find something new, I'll look at what's out there at the current time. Even if I get something at the tail end of a cycle, that's fine too, I usually hold on to stuff for a while.
EaglevsFalcon
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This is merely a discussion to me, brother
Is it bad depends on the person. For somebody like me, who has an obsessive need to investigate and research every major purchase, its just that much more info that I must weed through. Choosing my two recent Vokeys was a pain because I had to learn everything I could on each grind before I could pull the trigger.
I understand your point about the timing of each product release, and it makes sense. But, I think a balance has to be kept. Considering the different variations on each line, it is conceivable to think that a golfer can be fit into multiple drivers of the same brand. How does that golfer decide which one to get? What about the casual golfer who walks into a big box looking to buy a driver and sees 8 different options from the same company? How does he or she decide?
Using the car analogy and GM, why for so many years do the release the same car over multiple brand lines, like the Chevy Trailblazer and GMC Envoy? Why not make a luxury Trailblazer instead of making GMC a luxury brand. I have think that adds confusion to the process. I'm not advocating for Titleist like releases, just a little more care and focus to streamline the buying process.
If it is working for these companies, and it seems as though it is, then they should continue on, no doubt. Im just one guy on the internet so what I think doesn't really matter in the grand scheme anyway.
- Admin
- #82
For what its worth, they still do.
The luxury brand is Cadillac of course.
When it comes to decision time, personal preference, price, sound, look all will come into play.
And as always, while you are just one guy, everybody's opinion counts, whether me or anybody else agrees with it. :angel:
- Admin
- #84
Nobody ever mentions putters. Scotty, Odyssey, Bettinardi, SeeMore, they all release a bunch of models...Nobody says boo. Part of that is the marketing done, is different than new technology (sometimes), but its fairly funny to me. Just like iron sets.
T2GRN18
Active member
EaglevsFalcon
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Drivers are just more obvious because they get such a big push from the OEMs. Reminds me of the commercial a few years ago where the guy had a golf bag full off drivers and asked, "What else do I need?"
rjb01camaross
Active member
I enjoy all the options on the market and hope that trend continues. Personally I like comparing and testing all the models I can get my hands on to see how they preform for me. The scary trend that I don't like is the constant price increases for new clubs. In 2014 the Bio cell was $299 new and now it's hard to find a quality name brand for under $349 and most of the "premium" options are pushing the $500 mark. Irons sets are breaking the $1k for the high end models with more consistency. However, its hard to blame the manufactures IMHO because as with any industry a company should price their products at the top of what the market will support.
Wilson Staffer
New member
Tell that to my $800.00 Scotty. If it's insured then in my book that makes it an investment.
Put your scotty on the phone. I will tell it, it isn't an investment.
Fwiw, given that all of my golf clubs are insured under my homeowners, I still don't consider them investments.
Investment is the wrong word here. No one is buying golf clubs expecting their portfolio to grow by a percentage or two.
Some clubs hold value on the secondary market infinitely better than other clubs when it comes time to sell and move on, that is just a fact. If you know you are going to flip clubs every year, those brands would be a financially wiser choice...albeit only a few hundred bucks at most.
Some clubs hold value on the secondary market infinitely better than other clubs when it comes time to sell and move on, that is just a fact. If you know you are going to flip clubs every year, those brands would be a financially wiser choice...albeit only a few hundred bucks at most.
sgbani
Member
We all want the best product at the best price, at the moment that we decide to purchase it.
Unfortunately, for those that decide to wait some, maybe many years, before adding / replacing clubs, the companies we want to still see exist with products at those points in time need to make revenue and continue R&D.
I am in favor of consistent timing of releases by companies, at whatever interval suits their needs/biz model best, whether incremental or major in terms of tech or in quantity / diversity.
Eventually, should I replace other clubs in my bag I will look at not only the latest and greatest, but previous versions that can be acquired at likely a better deal.
I didn't really start looking at replacing / upgrading clubs until last year, and since then added three new gamers to my bag (driver, hybrid, wedge). Only the wedge was the current version, rest were out for awhile.
I love my new hybrid, even though it has been out for a couple years, and I purchased it at a great price and think it plays far above what I was using before.
I see golf equipment / clubs the same way I view computer equipment. There will always be newer tech, and newer features to a slew of things every year. So my mantra is perhaps drool and read about the new, cool stuff, but not take anything seriously until I am personally ready to invest.
Unfortunately, for those that decide to wait some, maybe many years, before adding / replacing clubs, the companies we want to still see exist with products at those points in time need to make revenue and continue R&D.
I am in favor of consistent timing of releases by companies, at whatever interval suits their needs/biz model best, whether incremental or major in terms of tech or in quantity / diversity.
Eventually, should I replace other clubs in my bag I will look at not only the latest and greatest, but previous versions that can be acquired at likely a better deal.
I didn't really start looking at replacing / upgrading clubs until last year, and since then added three new gamers to my bag (driver, hybrid, wedge). Only the wedge was the current version, rest were out for awhile.
I love my new hybrid, even though it has been out for a couple years, and I purchased it at a great price and think it plays far above what I was using before.
I see golf equipment / clubs the same way I view computer equipment. There will always be newer tech, and newer features to a slew of things every year. So my mantra is perhaps drool and read about the new, cool stuff, but not take anything seriously until I am personally ready to invest.
heisman6183
Member
I don't mind the release cycles but I find the distance-centric marketing ridiculous. If you added up all the yards the newest drivers supposedly added over the past 5 years we'd all be hitting it 300 on average. The iron ads are even more disingenuous by saying their "5 iron" goes farther than your "5 iron", mostly because their "5 iron" is 3 degrees stronger and a half inch longer shaft length than yours.
More equipment/options is better for the consumer. They are creating more competition in the marketplace, and I don't understand why there is a time limit on innovation. If these companies are trying to create better and better product, constantly learning from previous releases and testing being done, why should it take them a set period of time to implement said tech?
I can see where if I ran a big box store it could be an issue of inventory management, but as a consumer for me I will take more, good (and hopefully better) equipment as soon as possible.
.
I can see where if I ran a big box store it could be an issue of inventory management, but as a consumer for me I will take more, good (and hopefully better) equipment as soon as possible.
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Scrap Iron
On The Eh Team
I think since the dawn of golf manufacturers have always advertised distance so I'm sure we should be in the 400 years average by now.
ryebread
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Release away. It just gives me more to choose from and drives the prices down faster.
The OEMs are out to make money. They're not there to make a poor purchase or impulse buy worth more money when you go and try and sell it.
The resale is solely dependent on what people want to pay for it on the secondary market. That's truly where the market speaks on what is good and bad, and the real fair market prices are.
The OEMs are out to make money. They're not there to make a poor purchase or impulse buy worth more money when you go and try and sell it.
The resale is solely dependent on what people want to pay for it on the secondary market. That's truly where the market speaks on what is good and bad, and the real fair market prices are.
My pet pig is insured, that doesn't make him an investment.
BlkNGld
Active member
As long as they don't start building clubs to disintegrate in sync with release cycles, I really don't care that much.
All the marketing, etc., it's still up to me to figure out if the club is an improvement over what I have, if it's a worthwhile improvement for the cost, and if I can afford it.
If companies can make money releasing clubs on shorter cycles, more power to them as long as I"m not forced to buy them. If they do it too much, don't put out interesting product, or don't manage their inventory, they'll be in trouble.
We're all free to impose personal product release cycles on ourselves. That some people feel the need to upgrade on every releases tells the OEMs that they've been leaving money on the table.
All the marketing, etc., it's still up to me to figure out if the club is an improvement over what I have, if it's a worthwhile improvement for the cost, and if I can afford it.
If companies can make money releasing clubs on shorter cycles, more power to them as long as I"m not forced to buy them. If they do it too much, don't put out interesting product, or don't manage their inventory, they'll be in trouble.
We're all free to impose personal product release cycles on ourselves. That some people feel the need to upgrade on every releases tells the OEMs that they've been leaving money on the table.
I don't have any issue with either general approach - the long delay, unified line approach of Titleist and Bridgestone, or the 2-3 different release flurries a year approach with 3-4 different options for each club type espoused by TaylorMade and Callaway. Both have their merits - the former maintains resale value much better and defends the MSRP for longer, whereas the latter tends to move much more product and the consumer can find deals much easier.
I've bought clubs from both schools, and they've all been quality. It's to be expected that every company will have a different approach, and I'm all for more options.
I've bought clubs from both schools, and they've all been quality. It's to be expected that every company will have a different approach, and I'm all for more options.
Fine print must be read with distance claims...
It's quite interesting to see what they compare their current clubs to